Method of and apparatus for treating fluids



the process. may be cer'ied out. f"

Patented Au 28; 1923.

til

I p p 1,466,579 PATENT JOFFI'QEQ HAROLD EUGENE COLLVER; or sliecon, omurnro, G ANADAQASSIGNOR BY rensnn ASSIGNMENTS, T E. s. wnnrrz, or CLEVELAND-OHIO.

METHOD or AND APPARATUS, non TREATING FLUIDS.

Application filed October 8,]1917, Serial no; 195,433. senewea December 28, 1922.

Britain anti a resident Oli slil lCO e inthe:

county: of Norfolk, 7:7rovince of one-8,110;

Canada, have invented a new and useful 'h'iethotl of and Apparatus for Treating 5 rods; and I do l'iere'oy declare "the roli'voiv to he a and exact description of the same when tziken in connection with the 110- conipenying'drawings, forming ertoi'f this specification. i

This invention relates to a method and for treating semi-liquid substances, and was firstencl aptlyutilizeclin the concentration otmilk products previously condensed in vacuum pens, as a step the manufacture of congealed milk protlrte, butrthe jmethocl and apparatus are etleptecl for the concentration of'ztll serniliquid products. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fi ure is a section of a verticel pla-n'e t'w l 7 or an apparatus en'iborlying' the mechanical textures of theinvention, and with Whicl Figure 2 is a section in a horizontal plane, showing the preferred form of impeller blades.

his: 3 blade.

' Like lettli s of indicate the semepart.

The apparatus, illustrated. embodies in its construction k'ylintlricel container A,

is an edge \f iew of a; propeller having its axis arrangerl substantiallyverticulljn and preferably. provideclwith an ending con cal hottom'A' At the apex of the conical bottom there .isprovitleil o s ep hcaringrrl to, support a. verg tinfl shaft G. which also hzise bet ring'at the nose)? cntl of the container, Titl '1' adeptorl to smiport and'e'llectfrototiono' irnpeller blades D, extending substantially radially re-n1 the shaft. butt-he outer edgosfof r ch are :i'rlaptecl forlotera'l expansion uncle/r centri'l u il'force so to cont-: ct with the inner s iooth liquid supporting surface of the container. i

The im ieller' blerles D, openings or perforations iterations a e located not of the bl t ,the e g'es thereo'ffthe edge pei 'oretions, however, in the two are provided with l)"- tnrl these perth e hoe elone in the body;

blades beingpreferably out of alinement impeller blades may be just out'of contact with the inner smooth surface of the contEliIlGi,'11E1ClGP theefiect of centrifugal force, they will be 'ceused to contect therewith, and to exert escraping; action toefiectuelly reniore any possible adhering particles of milk or other products, and pro'ide e smootln clean surface for the formation of niee-ns' for imparting V a relatively thin body, or plurality of botlies v of milk or of other materials being-treated. I his raf-tliol action be secured by making the impeller blotles of strong. metzil encl curved, as shown in Figure 2, and slightly elalstici i r r i "Surrounding the cylindrical wall of the contziiner'is a, steam or heeting' chamber B,

which may, tlesire l, ext ntl across be heath the bottom of the container, as shown,

'elthougri this is not rleeineil necessary or important. Steam or other suitable medium r "for heating-the substance beingtreutetl in reference in. each figurey.

The entrance and exit (luctsfor the materiel to be treated are located preferably in; the ['Ylllldlli'fll wall of the container it top eiutbottoni of some and they are prefern 'l oil such size; and their openings, with "iiner. ere oi: such 'cho recser that the roster rlw' l pass in and out, Without bank g up or creasing tbethickness'of 'fltelltthWlliCll are-formed upon the r; of the contoii'ier, Q3 will be presentl ',fpointed out. e 4

lhe sen'ii-liquiil uflmlttecl to the conteinertoutinnously; preferably from the top, and preferebly at one inlet. As shown the plierl from itreserroirM through a pipe hovinge Q siting valve N- therein, and

eonnectingirthrough a slee ed. pertO with the container at so as to discharge onto the .teriuls to be treated are sup' cylindrical surface thereof while the dis charge for the treated material is continuous and through a valve controlled pipe V.

The whole apparatus is mounted on a suitable support and constitutes a unit ready for pipe and power connections when installed.

To prevent the substance treated from flowing over the upper end of the impeller blades, the upper ends are curved forwardly with relation to the direction of rotation, thus forcing the semi-liquid materials to pass beneath the side edges of the blades, this construction being well illustrated in Fig. 1.

In operation the cylindrical wall of the container is maintained at a suitable temperature for the materials treated, and the latter preferably enters the container in a stream, but may be allowed to diffuse them selves, upon the inner wall about the inletopening.

The form which the materials take upon the treating surface. varies with the character of the materials treated, the rapidity with which they are introduced, with the amount of materials in the container at given time, and with the rotary speed applied to the impeller blades.

The materials to be treated preferably enter the container at the inlet opening; P, preferably in the form of a continuous stream which is directed by gravity through the central vapor zone, where the materials are caught by the impeller blades and forced in small masses, upon the concave heated treating surface of the container, and thereafter spread ther-eove-r in an irregular manner, and thereafter moved, tl ereover in an irregular manner, and from the container in a continuous StlGEtD'l.

By this method of introduction the ma terials are first forced upon the treating surface at a plurality of points throughout its extent, and substantially immediately moved from the first point of contact. A portion of the materials are first moved toward the opposite end of the container from the outlet when considerable amount materials is in the container, and later moved toward the outlet end. he line of lineal. travel for the materials depends more or less upon their nature, and the amount in the container at a given time.

The materials do not follow a uniforn'i line of lineal travel. lVhen considered in connection v -th the action of the impeller blades the method involves what might be termed disintegratingor rough treatment for the materials, as for instance to destroy butter fat globules and the strut-hire, gem ifiifllly conceded to be fibrous in nature, surrounding the protein cells in milk prod.- uets, i ile portions of the product treated are being evaporated while travelling in an ea ers irregular path over the inner surface of a heated cylinder, whether in the form of an irregular body of material of layer fornuu tion, or whether in broken formation as to the continuity of the product, :nd regardless of whether the container is verticaih or horizontally dispofed. The action of the impeller blades Wiping the suri" e tends to divide th materials into a number of individual bodies.

The vapor of evaporation may escape through the outletpipe K, from its own pressure, or through being connected with means for producing," a vacuum within the container, a vacuum being; desirable for the treatment of various products in this method of treatment. A peep-hole is vided in the wall of th cover of the tainer, as shown at (E.

Weepower is applied to the i. through the pulley the movement of the impeller blades forces the milk and other materials over the heated cylindrical treating surface, and, the impeller blades bein'g' elastic in nature and m over the treat-- ingr surface crush and destroy sugar, tartar, and mineral crystals, fibrous structures, and the like, they flow over the treatiiur suress is conducted simultaneously with an vapornting process. The amount of maerials t be treated upon the inner surface of the container need not be sufficient to enable the impeller blades, tl I their movemen to maintain a constanthr movuniform layer of materials, travelling in. a uniform line spirally about the im'ier surface from. one end of the container to the other end.

the rcrtical to the lii'irizontal. it is thought unnecessary to illustrate this chair-1e in the drai iigs.

. By this method there is a portion of the heated treating: s1 face which is not neces- S21I'il -,.-:"0 .Q-}i(l m 9. materials to he treated. and the body of material treated does not assume the form of a revolving liquid cylinder, travelling: at uniforms iieed in a spiral direction, but rather, the material to be treated consists of a combinationof mate" l bodies moving more or less alternately spirally, irregularly, circumferen- Ill) periphery thereoit whereby to supply material to the container, rotatable metallic blades Within the container extendinglongitudinally adjacent the peripheral wall of the container, said blades having alternately arranged cutout parts in the outer edge thereof, permitting the material to pass by the blades through. said cutout parts, and said container having an opening for the tree escape of vapors. V

6. In an apparatus for evaporating semi liquid substances such as partially condensed milk, the combination or a vertically dis posed cylindrical container,.n1eans for applying steam heat to the peripheral wall thereot, said container having a conical outlet end with a discharge opening adjacent the edge thereof, and said container having an inlet for the material adjacent the opposite end thereof, and also having in one at its ends an, opening for the'tree escape of vapors, and rotatable impeller blades positioned in the container and adapted to apply the material in layer formation on the peripheral wall of the container, said blades eing provided with alternately placed openings through which the material under treatment may pass, thereby preventing the material from banking up in front of the blades in the movement of the latter,

7. In an apparatus for evaporating semiiieuid substances such as partially condensed milk, the combination of a vertically disposed cylindrical container, the inner wall of which constitutes a treating surface, means tor applying steam heat to the exterior surface of the container, the said container having an inlet for the material adjacent the periphery at one end thereof, and a discharge for the treated material adjacent the opposite end of the periphery thereot, and said container having in one oi the ends an opening for the free escape of vapor from the center of the container, and means for applying the material in the form of a. layer to the inner peripheral. surface of the container, comprising rotatable nietallic impeller blades adapted to maintain the surface cleansed ot' adhering particles, and said blades being adapted to yield and havingby-pass openings for the passage of the material whereby to prevent banking up of the material in advance of the blades.

8. The method of treating semi-liquid substances such as partially condensed milk, to concentrate them by evaporation which consists of introducing the material into the upper end of a vertically disposed cylindrical container, applying steam heat to the wall of the container, subjecting said material to the action of rotatable conveyors, thereby causing the material so introduced into the container to move circuinterentially and endwise in layer formation over the interior surface of the cylindrical Wall of aees'ze the container, breaking up the particles of material forming the layer, and simultaneously maintaining the cylindrical. treati, surface free from adhering particles of the material without banking the material in front of the conveyor members, and allowing the vapors of evaporation to t'r ely escape through a copious discharge opening in one end of the container. 7

9. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of cylindrical container, means for applying to the cylindrical wall. of the container a heating mediun'i, said container having an inlet opening for the material adjacent, one end thereof, and an outlet opening for the treated material adjacent the opposite end thereof, and said container also having a relatively large opening for the escape of vapors, in one of its ends, a substantially centrally disposed rotatable shaft, circumterentially spaced blades on said shaft, said blades projecting from the shaft to a point adjacent the periphery of the container and having a series of bypass openings for the material throughout the body thereof.

10. In an evaporating apparatus, the com bination of a cylindrical container, means for applying to the cylindrical wall or" the container heating medium, said container having an inlet opening for the material adjacent one end thereof, an outlet opening for the treated. material adjacent the opposite end thereof, said container also having a relatively large opening for. the escape of vapors in one of its ends, a substantially centrally-disposed rotatable sha'lt, circumferentially spaced blades on said shaft, said blades having a series of apertures therethrough and projecting from a point adja cent said shaft to a point in contact with the inner surface oi the container, and said blades being constructed of yieldable metal.

11. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a vertically disposed cylindrical container, means for supplying heat to the cylindrical wall of the container said container having an inlet adjacent one end for the material and an outlet adj accut the opposite end for the treated material, and said container having in one end a copious open ing for the free discharge of vapors, means for applying circumferential movement to the materiahl comprising rotatable blades extending longitudinally of and to a point adjacent the periphery of the container, said blades having by-pass'openings tor the material in the free edges thereof, and the openings in succeeding blades being'out of registration with one another.

12. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a vertically disposed cylindrical container, means for supplying heat to the cylindrical wall of the container, said container having an inlet adjacent one end for the material and an outlet adjacent the'opposite end for the treated material, and said container having in one end acopius opening fort e free discharge of vapors, and

means for applying circumferential movement to theinaterial, comprising rotatable blades extending longitudinally of and adjacent the periphery of thecontainer, said lades having by-pass openings for the material 1n the free edges thereof, and the openings n succeeding blades being out of registration, and the said blades being con-,

structed of yieldable material and adapted to contact with the interior surface of the container, whereby during the. process of moving the material over said surface the sald surface will be simultaneously and continuously cleansed.

13. In an apparatus ofthecharacter-de material adjacent the opposite end thereof,

and said containerralso having a relatively large opening for the escape of vaporsfrom" oneend, and curved blades of yieldable material in contact with the peripheral surface of the contalnerand pro ecting in opposite.

directions from a point substantially centrally of the container, said blades having a series of by-pass openings for the material throughout the body thereof.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical container, means for applying to the cylindrical wall of the container a heatingme dium, said container having an inlet open-- ing for the material adjacent one end there of, and an outlet opening for the treated material adjacent the opposite end thereof, and said container also having a relatively large opening for the escape of vapors from one end, curved blades of yieldable material in contact with the peripheral surfaceof the container and pro ecting in opposite directions from a point substantially centrally or the container, said blades having a series of by-pass openings for the o material throughout the body thereof, and said blades also having at their engaging edges cut-out parts. 7

15. In an evapo 'ating apparatus, the corn bination of a substantiallycylindrical container, means for applying heat to the cylindrical wall of the container, said container having an inlet at one end and an outlet at 'ltS opposite end for the material, a centrally disposed rotatable shaft in the container, metallic blades pro ecting from said shaft and having yieldable parts to engage the surface of the container, said blades having in theedges thereof cut-out parts, and said bladesrat the nlet end of the container iaving a-ninclined end whereby to leave a space between said shaft and the edge portion of said end of the bladespandsaid container having an enlarged vapor escape cominuni {eating wlth sald space.

16. In an'evaporating apparatus, the coinbinationof a vertically disposed container having an irlet opening at the top thereof, and anoutlet opening 'for the treated material at the base thereof, adjacent the periphery of the container, and said container also having an enlarged opening for the escape of vapors, the container having a coneshaped base, a vertically disposed shaft having a bearing centrally of said base, and conveyor blades mounted directly on said shaft and at the lower edges thereof shaped to correspond with the shape of the base of the container, said blades having bypass openings therethrough for the material, and means for supplying heat to the'wall of the container. i

. HAROLD EUGENE COLLVER. I

Witnesses:

' C. A. CHALLEN,

J. D. GLASS. 

